Lionel Messi (OVR 94)

Position: RW, CF, ST

Age: 32

Club: Barcelona

Country: Argentina

Free Kick stats: 93 Curve, 94 Free Kick Accuracy, 85 Power

One of the most prolific goalscorers and clinical finishers of all time, Lionel Messi is known for his powerful and accurate striking ability from both inside and outside the area, as well as his positioning, quick reactions, and ability to make attacking runs to beat the defensive line.

In Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Liverpool in May, Messi had Alisson beaten twice, most memorably with a 30-yard free kick in the 81st minute that arrowed into the top corner.

Although Messi has scored 42 free kicks for Barcelona, and a further six for Argentina, he is widely considered as the best set piece taker in the world, and takes FIFA 20’s number 1 spot.

Sebastian Giovinco (OVR 81)

Position: CF, ST

Age: 32

Club: Al Hilal

Country: Italy

Free Kick stats: 90 Curve, 93 Free Kick Accuracy, 80 Power

Widely known as the ‘Free-Kick King’, Sebastian Giovinco takes the number 2 spot in FIFA 20. His conversion rate comes in at 9.7% (impressive considering how he attempts free-kicks from 35 yards out), and scores a direct free-kick every 580.47 minutes, which is around half of the time it takes for Messi, Pjanic or Neymar to score one.

No one has scored more direct free kicks in the world game than Sebastien Giovinco, with Lionel Messi sitting a few goals behind him in second.

Enis Bardhi (OVR 78)

In August 2017 Bardhi joined Levante and scored his first goal in the top tier, netting his team’s first goal through a direct free-kick in a 2–2 home draw against Deportivo La Coruna.

Bardhi’s set-piece prowess has gone under the radar, considering that the only person to score more free kicks than him in the 2017-18 season was Lionel Messi.

Miralem Pjanic (OVR 86)

Position: CM, CDM

Age: 29

Club: Piemonte Calcio (Juventus)

Country: Bosnia

Free Kick stats: 86 Curve, 92 Free Kick Accuracy, 85 Power

Pjanic was Juventus’s first choice free-kick taker for years, until Cristiano Ronaldo signed for the club in July 2018 – he bagged some absolute screamers from distance, most notably against AC Milan, Genoa and Chievo Verona.

It is understood that he handed over the mantle to five-time Ballon d’Or winner without much of a fight, but considering how Ronaldo scored one free kick for every 185 games he played in a Real Madrid kit, we have no idea why.